Unveiling the Emission Mechanisms of Blazar PKS 1510-089: II. Jet-BLR Connection and Black Hole Mass Estimation

TL;DR

This study investigates the spectral variability of blazar PKS 1510-089 over a decade, revealing a jet-BLR connection and estimating the black hole mass through emission line analysis.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the jet-BLR relationship and offers a black hole mass estimate based on spectral variability data.

Findings

Anti-correlation between Hβ FWHM and luminosity across datasets

Flaring events in jet continuum coincide with Hβ line flares

Estimated black hole mass of approximately 2.85×10^8 solar masses

Abstract

The flat spectrum radio quasar PKS 1510-089 is one of the most active blazars across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, displaying periods of flaring activity. This study explores its spectral variability over a decade. By employing the non-thermal dominance parameter, we analyze the H$\beta$ and $\lambda5100\text{ \AA}$ continuum light curves, as well as the full width at half maximum of the H$\beta$ emission line, to identify whether the primary source of the continuum emission is the accretion disk or the jet during activity periods. Our results shows an anti-correlation between the full width at half maximum and the luminosity of the H$\beta$ emission line across all datasets. This indicates, that variations in H$\beta$ luminosity consistently reflects the canonical broad-line region, irrespective of whether the primary ionizing source is the accretion disk or the jet. The anti-correlation persisted when comparing the full width at half maximum of H$\beta$ against the luminosity at $\lambda5100\text{ \AA}$ in the disk dominance regime. These findings, along with the observation that flaring events in the $\lambda5100\text{ \AA}$ continuum, attributed to the jet, coincide with flares in the H$\beta$ emission line, suggest that the base of the jet is located within the broad-line region. Based on the 219 spectra within the disk dominance regime, we estimated a mean black hole mass of $M_{BH}=2.85\pm0.37\times10^{8}\: M_{\odot}$.